As with most young children growing up, bed time stories were a constant part of our night time routine.  My mother, being Samoan told many elaborate stories, as she was raised the same way in Samoa where stories were told in song and dance.  The Samoan language at this time had only recently been translated and written.  It is a very phonetic language and the Samoans like many other cultures handed down stories, legends and fables by songs or chants from generation to generation.  

The story of the turtle and the shark (as told by my mother) was one of my favorites.  It seemed each time she told it, the story got more elaborate and layered.  Her version went something like this

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Mom tells the story...

 

“Many years ago in the village of Mulifanua a young boy and girl fell madly in love.  They had been best friends growing up, playing, fishing and doing all the things young villagers did in Old Samoa.  As they came into age, their friendship became more.  This was a problem for the young lovers, as the young girl was of royal blood, and the boy was not.  

 The young girls father began to take notice of this and being chief of the village, came up with a plan.  He arranged a union between the son of a chief of a great village on a neighboring island.  He hoped their union would also help create an alliance between the two villages.  

When the chief broke the news to his daughter she was heart broken and broke down sobbing.  Late that night she quietly left her Fale' and went to find her lover.  He was sleeping outside of his family’s fale', as only the parents and grandparents slept inside on fine mats.  She woke him with a kiss.  and They ran off to the clearing by the waterfall, were the villagers gathered water and bathed and swam.  Late at night it was the lover’s secret place to meet. 

When the girl told her lover what her father had planned they both began to cry and held each other in a tight embrace.  Finally the boy put his hand to the lips of his lover and quieted her.  “I have a plan if you want to hear it?” The girl nodded her head up and down yes!  The boy had already pondered this situation, as talk had started in the village of their becoming more than just childhood friends.  He knew he was forbidden to be anything more than a friend to the chief's daughter.  

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The Plan...

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Months ago he had hidden his fishing canoe at a distant cove and had swam back to the village.  He told his family that the fishing canoe had been lost, broken apart on the reef.  Telling them That he had been fishing the outside edge on the outer reef and had been thrown against the reef by a great wave.  As punishment he was forbidden to ever fish again, as only the Elders were allowed to fish outside of the village lagoon.  Now the punishment would pay off as he shared his plan with his young love.  He told her of how he had hidden the canoe and inside was his fishing net, a fishing line, and carved fishing hooks, plus a small coco mat.  

 he told her the rest of his plan, how they could take the canoe to the farthest island away, to a small village he had visited once when he was part of a trading trip on the village’s great voyaging canoe.  He looked deep into his lover’s eyes and asked if she would go with him, and added he understood if she would not.  He told her he was still going to make the voyage, as there would be nothing left for him if she did as her Father wished.  the young girl grabbed her lover and holding him tightly looked into his eyes and said “I will go with you anywhere, I want to never be apart from you! We are one!” he kissed her and then told her the rest of his plan. 

They would have to leave this very night, it was their only chance to get away.  He explained that if they returned to the village they would never get another chance.  That he had seen the village Elders prepping the great voyaging canoe, stocking it with coconuts, taro, and other goods.  There was talk that the chief had planned a voyage very soon, but even the Elders did not know the reason.  Now, the lovers knew the true reason for the voyage.  She took her lovers hand, looked deep into his eyes and said “where is the canoe?” Hand in hand he lead them to the canoe.  Just before reaching the cove he had her stop to pull a small bunch of bananas and he climbed a coconut palm and kicked a bunch down.  Once they arrived at the cove he uncovered the canoe while she found a stick for husking the coconuts.  She had quite a few done before he put the canoe into the water and told her to leave the rest as they needed to leave now.  She placed what she had in the canoe and climbed in. 

 

The Escape...

 

As they entered the small lagoon he could hear the waves crashing over the reef.  He knew the reef pass well and assured his lover she should not be afraid.  The night was clear enough, and as he held the canoe in place he looked up at the night sky, found the midnight star, and listened for a break in the waves.  When he heard the reef go quiet he paddled fast and through the pass, only stopping once he was far enough past the reef to catch his breath.  Then he started to paddle out to where he hoped he would catch the current that would lead them to the new island and a life together.  Sitting forward in the small fishing canoe the girl gazed at her lover in the early glow of the coming morning. She was never more sure that she had made the right choice and vowed to herself to follow this boy she loved to end of the world. With her lover focused on the task at hand, she covered herself with the coco mat.  Dawn broke and the boy was confident he had caught the current and looked once more at the dimming stars above to check his position.  His was a small fishing canoe with no mast or fine mat sail and so he kept a steady stroke and continued to paddle.  From his previous trip to the island he had chosen as their new home, he knew he could make it there by the next day.  

The long day was finally coming to an end. He had taken only a few short breaks to drink some fresh coconut water and eat some of the sweet young meat.  His lover spoke little, as she didn't want to distract him, but instead sang him the songs taught to her by her elders.  Night was beginning to fall and the night was clear.  Off in the distance he spotted what he hoped were clouds, as they usually gathered around the mountain tops of the islands.  As the stars began to fill the night sky he grew more confident he had stayed on course and he excitedly told his lover this.  

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A New Home...

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They embraced each other and talked about their new life together, as young lovers full of optimism usually do.  Soon the boy started back to his steady, strong paddling and the canoe continued on to what he hoped was a better life for both of them.  His lover once again pulled the small coco mat over her and quickly fell asleep.  He was not sure of the time but he was sure that the ocean was beginning to change.  Clouds began to appear and block the stars and the wind began to pick up.  On the wind he could smell rain and he looked up at the sky and made a decision.  He changed course and began to paddle hard with all his strength.  He heard thunder, and the ocean grew angry and he struggled to keep the canoe on course.  The first rain drops fell and his lover pulled the coco mat from her.  Their eyes met and no words were needed, she grabbed a coconut shell and began to bail water from the canoe.  Soon the storm got stronger and the ocean rougher.  He put the paddle down as the waves tossed the canoe about and he helped the girl bail water.  In the distance he heard the rhythmic sounds of breaking waves, praying they were breaking against an outer reef.  Just then a mighty wave broke upon them and threw them out of the canoe into the ocean.  As they surfaced the boy motioned to his lover to follow and he swam strongly toward the sound of the breaking waves.  They were both strong swimmers, having spent many hours swimming in the lagoon and the bathing pool by the waterfall.  Soon they were at the edge of an outer reef and started to look for a break or pass in the reef.  The storm continued to rage and a large wave swept them up and on to the reef, and into a small lagoon.  They swam to each other and held each other in a tight embrace.  They began to swim to a distant light far off above them.  After a short swim they found themselves on a small beach, checked themselves and only found minor reef cuts, and fell asleep in each others arms on the beach.  

In the morning they were found by some young children and led up the path to the village above the high cliff.  Once there, they were taken to the chiefs fale' and found they were in the village of Vaitogi.  They were fed and once seated on the chief’s fine mats, shared their story.  The chief was very touched by their story and their love for one another, and told them “Ta Lo Fa" this village is your new home.

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Her Father Arrives...

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A few months passed and the couple were now an integral part of the village.  Both very happy and productive in their new life together.  One morning while doing chores, a small child came running from the cliff shouting “I’ve seen the mast of a great voyaging canoe!” The couple’s hearts sank as they both had hoped this day would never come, still in their hearts they knew it would.  They had spoken about it many times, as they both knew she was the only daughter of such a great chief, he would never let her be taken from him. especially in the way she had been taken and by a common Village boy.  

The chief came out of his Fale' and called for his warriors to ready themselves and the Elders to ready the village for war.  He asked the couple to follow him to the cliff over looking the lagoon and the small beach where they were found.  As they looked out on the ocean they could clearly see the mast of the great voyaging canoe approaching.  The chief turned to them and said “you are both a part of my aiga (family) and you will not be taken from my village!”  The couple approached the cliff knowing what they had to do.  The boy kissed his Lover and turned to the chief. with his lovers hand in his, he addressed the chief saying “not one of your people will pay for our love with their life!”  Then they turned and jumped to their death. 

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The legend tells of a gracious god that admired their love and loyalty to one another, and turned the boy into a shark and the girl into a turtle to swim together in the ocean for eternity.  There is current belief, that when the villagers of Vaitogi sing the song of "Fonuea" from the cliffs of Vaitogi, a turtle and a shark come to the surface of the sea.  

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Even though there are many different versions of this legend, this is the one I was told, and the reason the turtle and the shark, like so many other Polynesians, means so much to me, and is an integral part of my logo design.  

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